[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 12 (Tuesday, January 20, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2948-2952]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-1210]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Bureau of the Census


Master Address File (MAF) and Topologically Integrated Geographic 
Encoding and Referencing (TIGER) Update Activities

ACTION: Proposed collection; comment request.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort 
to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public 
and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on 
proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 
3506(c)(2)(A)).

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before March 23, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Linda Engelmeier, 
Departmental Forms Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 
5327, 14th and Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20230.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or

[[Page 2949]]

copies of the information collection instruments and instructions 
should be directed to Lynn Minneman, Bureau of the Census, SFC-2, Room 
1308-A, Washington, DC 20233. Phone number 301-457-2036.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    Note: The present clearance expires June 30, 1998. This request 
covers field activities to be conducted from July 1, 1998 through 
September 30, 2000. Operations occurring during the period from 
October 1, 1997 through June 30, 1998 are listed here only to 
explain the total respondent burden for FY98 shown in part III.

    The Census Bureau presently operates a generic clearance covering 
activities involving respondent burden associated with updating our 
Master Address File (MAF) and Topologically Integrated Geographic 
Encoding and Referencing (TIGER). We now propose to extend that generic 
clearance to cover update activities we will undertake during the next 
three fiscal years.
    Under the terms of the generic clearance, we plan to submit a 
request for OMB clearance that will describe all planned activities for 
the entire period; we will not submit a separate clearance package for 
each updating activity. We will send a letter to OMB at least five days 
before the planned start of each activity that gives more exact 
details, examples of forms, and final estimates of respondent burden. 
We also will file a year-end summary with OMB after the close of each 
fiscal year giving results of each activity conducted. This generic 
clearance enables OMB to review our overall strategy for MAF and TIGER 
updating in advance, instead of reviewing each activity in isolation 
shortly before the planned start.
    The MAF is a national address list that is being created and 
continually updated with information from the U.S. Postal Service 
Delivery Sequence File. The Census Bureau plans to use the MAF for 
mailing or delivering questionnaires to households for Census 2000 and 
as a sampling frame for our demographic current surveys. In the past, 
the Census Bureau has built a new address list for each decennial 
census. The MAF we are building during Census 2000 is meant to be kept 
current thereafter, eliminating the need to build a completely new 
address list for future censuses and surveys. The TIGER is a geographic 
system that maps the entire country in Census blocks with applicable 
address range or living quarter location information. Linking MAF and 
TIGER allows us to assign each address to the appropriate Census Block, 
produce maps as needed and publish results at the appropriate level of 
geographic detail. The following are descriptions of each activity we 
plan to conduct under the clearance for the next three fiscal years.

1. Address Listing (AL)

    Census 2000 Address Listing will be conducted in 2.93 million 
blocks that have a preponderance of noncity-style addresses; for 
example, ``RR 1, Box 89,'' ``PO Box 678,'' or ``General Delivery.'' AL 
also will be conducted in all of Puerto Rico. Temporary Census Bureau 
employees called ``listers'' will canvass (walk or drive) each of these 
blocks, identifying each structure where people live or could live, 
including housing units and group quarters. They will record the block 
number and each physical location address or description on Form D-
101B, Address Listing Page. For each living quarters, the lister will 
attempt to conduct an interview to collect the mailing address, an E-
911 address for living quarters with no posted city-style mailing 
address, occupant name or group quarters contact person name, and 
telephone number. If no one is at home, the lister will attempt to 
interview a neighbor to obtain this information. If unable to obtain 
the information, the lister will attempt up to two telephone callbacks 
to obtain the information. There will be no personal callbacks to 
conduct an interview during Address Listing. The lister will also spot 
the location of the living quarters on a Block Map and update the Block 
Maps by adding missing roads, road names, or other map features as 
necessary, and deleting roads that no longer exist.
    The information collected will be used to create our Master Address 
File (MAF) for Census 2000 and survey use. The map additions and 
deletions will be used to update our TIGER maps. The processed address 
information and map spots will be directly used to deliver a Census 
2000 Questionnaire to each housing unit in these blocks.
    The operation will be conducted from August through December, 1998. 
There will be approximately 22.4 million respondents with an estimated 
response time of 1.5 minutes per living quarters. Approximately 4.7 
million respondents will be interviewed in FY98 with a respondent 
burden of 117,500 hours. Approximately 17.7 million respondents will be 
interviewed in FY99 with a respondent burden of 442,500 hours.
    In addition to the blocks mentioned above, AL will be conducted in 
the rural portion of 39 counties that are in the 1999 American 
Community Survey. Since a MAF is needed earlier in these counties than 
in the rest of the country, the Address Listing will be conducted 
between February and May, 1998, using slightly different forms and 
callback rules. Housing units will be listed on Form DX-101B, Housing 
Unit Address Listing Page. Special places will be listed on Form DX-
101C, Special Place Listing Page. The information collected will be 
almost identical to that listed above, however, more callbacks are 
authorized to obtain the mailing address. The lister will make up to 
three personal and two telephone callbacks to obtain the information 
for households where no one is home on the initial visit. There will be 
approximately 320,000 respondents with an estimated response time of 
two minutes per household. The total respondent burden is estimated at 
10,666 hours.

2. Block Canvass (BC)

    The Census 2000 Block Canvass is scheduled to take place from 
January 18, 1999 through June 4, 1999 in all areas where there is 
predominately city-style addressing and mail delivery and where the 
Census Bureau will conduct a mailout/mailback census. BC is a dependent 
field canvassing activity where listers will canvass assigned blocks 
looking for every place where people live or could live using Form D-
451A, Address Listing Page, which lists every living quarters currently 
in the MAF for these blocks. Listers will attempt to interview at 
predesignated living quarters (every third housing unit and all multi-
unit structures) to verify that living quarters' address and unit 
designation, as necessary, and the addresses of the living quarters on 
either side. They will also obtain mailing addresses when these are 
different from the house number and street name address. They will 
visit the next housing unit to obtain the information if no one is home 
at the predesignated unit. Listers also will contact the resident 
manager, superintendent, or other knowledgeable person at all multi-
unit structures to verify addresses and unit designations for each 
unit. For special places, the lister will visually check those on the 
list and add any that are missing. Listers will visit living quarters 
not on their list to obtain the house number and street name address 
and a mailing address (if different) for each living quarters. This 
information will be listed on Form D-451B, Block Canvass Add Page, or 
Form D-451B, Block Canvass Special Place Add Page. For special places, 
the lister will also obtain a contact person name and telephone number.
    BC will improve coverage by verifying addresses on our MAF, making

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corrections to those addresses as necessary, deleting nonexistent, 
uninhabitable, or nonresidential living quarters, capturing non-city 
style mailing addresses when the posted city-style address is not used 
for mail, and adding addresses for living quarters missing from the 
MAF. The processed MAF after BC will be used to label and deliver 
Census 2000 Questionnaires and for other Census Bureau surveys.
    The estimated number of respondents for BC is 27,500,000. The 
estimated time per response is 2 minutes. The total estimated 
respondent burden is 916,667 hours.

3. Field Verification for Local Update of Census Addresses (LUCA FV)

    This operation will verify the existence of predominately noncity-
style addresses that the local government officials add during their 
review of the MAF. This operation will take place around May of 1999. 
LUCA FV will increase the integrity of the MAF by validating addresses 
that are added by local government officials prior to these updates 
being included in the Census Mailout/Delivery.
    Listers will receive Form D-137, LUCA Field Verification Address 
Listing Page, that will include all addresses within a block that 
contains at least one add from a LUCA participant. Addresses that need 
to be verified will be identified on the listing pages by a blank 
action code field. Listers will conduct a brief interview to verify the 
existence and address of the specified unit and enter an action code on 
the listing page indicating that the unit exists or does not exist.
    We will verify approximately 5 million addresses across the United 
States. The estimated time per response is 1.5 minutes. The total 
estimated respondent burden is 125,000 hours.
    In addition to the above, LUCA FV will be conducted in the Census 
2000 Dress Rehearsal sites of Columbia, SC, Sacramento, CA, and 
Menominee, WI. This operation will verify the existence of 100% of the 
addresses, both city-style and noncity-style, that the local 
governments have added to the address list during LUCA. The operation 
will be the same as described above for Census 2000, using Form DX-137, 
LUCA Field Verification Address Listing Page. The operation will take 
place in December, 1997.
    We will verify approximately 22,423 addresses in the Dress 
Rehearsal sites. The estimated time per response is 1.5 minutes. The 
total estimated respondent burden is 561 hours.

4. Update Leave (U/L)

    Update/leave will occur in the same counties as specified above for 
operation 1, Address Listing, and throughout Puerto Rico. Each U/L 
enumerator will receive an Address Register, which includes a listing 
and Block Maps, and a pre-addressed Census 2000 Questionnaire for each 
address included in the listing. The Form D-105A, Address Listing Page, 
will include a record for each living quarters processed during Address 
Listing. The Block Maps will show a map spot for each listed structure 
that contained living quarters. The enumerator will completely canvass 
each assigned block in March of 2000. U/L will update the inventory of 
housing units by adding any new residential construction to the Form D-
105B, U/L Add Page, and the Block Maps, and will deliver a Census 2000 
Questionnaire to each housing unit.
    The enumerator will attempt to complete a short interview at each 
address to verify the address information collected during Address 
Listing or to obtain the address information for new units. They will 
also give the respondent the Questionnaire to complete and mail back. 
(The Questionnaire is covered by a different OMB clearance and is not 
described in this notice.) When no one is home, the enumerator will 
place the Questionnaire in a bag and hang it on the doorknob. There 
will be no callbacks for U/L.
    The estimated number of households for U/L is 22.4 million, 
however, we estimate that the total number of respondents will be 7.5 
million. The estimated time per response is 1.5 minutes. The total 
estimated respondent burden is 187,500 hours.
    In addition to the above, U/L will be conducted in the rural 
portions of the Columbia, SC and Menominee, WI Census 2000 Dress 
Rehearsal sites. This operation will occur in March and April of 1998. 
It will update the address lists and Block Maps and deliver the Dress 
Rehearsal Questionnaire in these counties using Form DX-105A, Address 
Listing Page, and DX-105B, U/L Add Page. The procedures will be the 
same as described above for Census 2000. The estimated number of 
households is 75,000, however, we estimate that the total number of 
respondents will be 25,000. The estimated time per response is 2 
minutes. The total estimated respondent burden is 834 hours.

5. Urban Update Leave (UU/L)

    The Urban Update/Leave operation for Census 2000 will be conducted 
in March 2000, in areas where there is predominately city-style 
addressing but in which the U.S. Postal Service does not deliver mail 
to housing units at their posted city-style address. UU/L may also be 
done in areas where the U.S. Postal Service delivers mail to a central 
drop point with no identifiable mail receptacles for each individual 
housing unit. The procedures for this operation are the same as 
described for operation 4, Update/Leave. The enumerators will use Form 
D-XXXX, Address Listing Page, and Form D-XXXY, UU/L Add Page, for this 
operation. The total estimated number of households is 1 million, 
however, we estimate that the total number of respondents is 334,000. 
The estimated time per response is 2 minutes. The total estimated 
respondent burden is 11,134 hours.

6. List/Enumerate (L/E)

    List/Enumerate is a method of taking Census 2000 in some very rural 
parts of the country where we will not have a MAF with mailing 
addresses prior to the Census. During the period from March 31 through 
May 1, 2000, enumerators will canvass each assigned block to list each 
living quarters and spot its location on a Block Map. The enumerator 
will ask a short series of questions using Form D-104A to determine the 
household name, mailing address and/or physical location/description of 
the housing unit. The enumerator will then pick up the completed Census 
2000 Questionnaire or enumerate the household using the Questionnaire. 
(The Questionnaire is covered by a different OMB clearance and is not 
included in this notice.)
    The estimated number of respondents for the listing portion of L/E 
is 420,000. The estimated time per response is 1.5 minutes. The 
estimated total respondent burden for the listing portion is 10,500 
hours.

7. Master Address File Quality Improvement Program (MAF QIP)

    The MAF is a national address list that is being created and 
continually updated with information from the U.S. Postal Service 
Delivery Sequence File. The Census Bureau plans to use this file for 
mailing questionnaires to households for Census 2000 and as a sampling 
frame for our demographic current surveys. The goal of the MAF QIP is 
to assess the completeness and accuracy of the housing units on the MAF 
by providing coverage and geocoding error estimates. The operation 
consists of creating an independent listing of housing units which will 
be computer matched to the

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MAF with a field reconciliation follow up of nonmatched units.
    Field Representatives will contact each housing unit in the MAF QIP 
sample areas to obtain and list address information on Form S-676, 
Master Address File Quality Improvement Program 1998 Independent 
Listing Book. Listers will also inquire at each special place and 
commercial structure to identify housing units. Addresses and geocoding 
information obtained during the independent listing will be computer 
matched to the MAF. During the reconciliation phase, field staff will 
resolve nonmatched housing units by verifying address information using 
Form S-XXX, Housing Unit Followup Form. The independent listing phase 
will be conducted in March through July of 1998. The reconciliation 
phase will be conducted in May through September of 1998.
    The total estimated number of respondents for the listing phase is 
250,000. The total estimated number of respondents for the 
reconciliation phase is 20,700. The estimated time per response is 3 
minutes for the listing phase and 1 minute for the reconciliation 
phase. The total estimated respondent burden is 10,000 hours for the 
listing phase and 345 hours for the reconciliation phase.
    A 1999 MAF QIP will also be conducted. The procedures will be 
similar to the 1998 MAF QIP, however, form numbers, exact workloads, 
and exact timing have not yet been determined. We estimate the maximum 
possible number of respondents for the listing phase at 500,000 with 
approximately 250,000 interviews done in late FY99 and 250,000 
interviews done in early FY2000. The reconciliation phase will be 
conducted in FY2000 with approximately 41,400 respondents. The 
estimated time per response is 3 minutes for the listing phase and 1 
minute for the reconciliation phase. The total estimated respondent 
burden is 10,000 hours in FY99 and 10,000 hours in FY2000 for the 
listing phase and 690 hours in FY2000 for the reconciliation phase. 
(The total number of respondents for the 1999 MAF QIP could be as small 
as 200,000 which would decrease respondent burden proportionately.)
    In addition to the above, an FY97 pilot study to test MAF QIP 
methodology was conducted in six counties. The procedures for this 
study were the same as outlined above for the 1998 MAF QIP. The 
reconciliation phase was still in progress at the end of FY97 and was 
halted due to the continuing resolution on budget. Field 
Representatives will resolve the remaining 3,770 nonmatched housing 
units in November and December of 1997 using Form S-663, Housing Unit 
Followup Form. The estimated number of respondents is 3,770. The 
estimated time per response is 1 minute. The estimated total respondent 
burden is 313 hours.

8. Master Address File Update for Otero County, New Mexico

    We will update the current MAF for Otero County, NM by identifying 
new housing units in the area outside Alamogordo City and field list 
these housing units to obtain a complete mailing and physical location 
address. This listing will occur sometime between February and June of 
1998. The new units are defined as those coming into existence after 
September, 1996. The new units will be identified using local 
administrative records (probably building permits); we do not plan to 
conduct any large scale block recanvass operation. The new units will 
be address listed using the forms and procedures described above for 
American Community Survey counties in operation 1, Address Listing. The 
estimated number of respondents is 200. The estimated time per response 
is 2 minutes. The estimated total respondent burden is 7 hours.

II. Method of Collection

    The primary method of data collection for all operations will be 
personal interview by Census Listers or Enumerators using the 
operation's listing form. In some cases, the interview could be by 
telephone callback if no one was home on the initial visit. See part I 
for details for each operation.

III. Data

    OMB Number: 0607-0809.
    Form Number: The form numbers for some activities have not yet been 
assigned. See the descriptions of the activities in part I for form 
numbers where applicable.
    Type of Review: Regular submission.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: Varies by operation, see chart 
below.
    Estimated Time Per Response: Varies by operation, see chart below.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: FY98 140,226; FY99 1,494,167; 
FY2000 219,824.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: The only cost to respondents is that 
of their time to respond.
    Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
    Legal Authority: Title 13, United States Code, Sections 141 and 
193.

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                                                    FY 1998      FY 1999      FY 2000      Average     Responses     FY 1998      FY 1999      FY 2000  
                    Activity                       respondent   respondent   respondent   hours per       per         burden       burden       burden  
                                                      ($)          ($)          ($)        response    respondent     hours        hours        hours   
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AL..............................................    4,700,000   17,700,000            0         .025            1      117,500      442,500            0
AL-ACS..........................................      320,000            0            0         .033            1       10,666            0            0
BC..............................................            0   27,500,000            0         .033            1            0      916,667            0
LUCA FV.........................................       22,423    5,000,000            0         .025            1          561      125,000            0
U/L.............................................            0            0    7,500,000         .025            1            0            0      187,500
U/L-DR..........................................       25,000            0            0         .033            1          834            0            0
UU/L............................................            0            0      334,000         .033            1            0            0       11,134
L/E.............................................            0            0      420,000         .025            1            0            0       10,500
MAFQIP..........................................      250,000      250,000      250,000         .050            1       10,000       10,000       10,000
MAFQIP-R........................................       24,470            0       41,400         .016            1          658            0          690
MAF/U...........................................          200            0            0         .033            1            7            0            0
                                                 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      Totals....................................    5,342,093   50,450,000    8,545,400  ...........  ...........      140,226    1,494,167      219,824
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IV. Request For Comments

    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden 
(including hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information; 
(c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and

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clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize 
the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including 
through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of 
information technology.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information 
collection; they also will become a matter of public record.

    Dated: January 13, 1998.
Linda Engelmeier,
Departmental Forms Clearance Officer, Office of Management and 
Organization.
[FR Doc. 98-1210 Filed 1-16-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P